Side Gigs: How Gen Z Can Monetize Their Social Media To Make Good Money
Written by
T. Woods
Edited by
Gary Dudak
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Despite their apparent ubiquity among post-millennials, side gigs weren’t created by Gen Z (older generations called it “moonlighting”). That said, the age bracket born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s has made the side gig their own — by utilizing social media.
According to a recent Intuit Credit Karma study, over one-third of Gen Z is encountering difficulty landing a career position, with 36% unable to enter the corporate world. Therefore, many are turning to what they know — the digital world of social media — to earn cash on the side, with 45% of those polled “identifying as digital side hustlers” and more than 10% saying they earn money via social media.
This should come as no surprise, as social media technology came to prominence within their lifetimes. As such, if you happen to be a Gen Zer looking for a side hustle, consider turning to the world of social media — specifically, “content creation.”
As more and more within that age group (61% to be exact) believe their day job pay has fallen behind their cost of living, Gen Z has turned to producing infotainment media targeting specific audiences via platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.
For example, do you have a fantastic workout routine and want to share the results? Make a paying-subscribers-only TikTok video highlighting your muscle gains or weight losses for your audience. Looking for a brand deal? Craft a clever post on Instagram showing how a specific product has changed your life (don’t forget to tag its parent company).
Gen Z is the most social media-savvy generation, and is the one best-suited to utilize these technology platforms for financial gain. Take a self-inventory and identify what you are most successful at, whether it is a hobby or a skill set, and you can use social media to monetize those strengths for an audience hungry for direction.
Indeed, that Credit Karma poll revealed that 13% of Gen Z respondents have used their digital side hustle to pull six figures. Further, 59% of those polled claimed their social media moonlighting has allowed them to save money, 24% built an emergency fund and 23% freed themselves from debt and began to travel.
Remember, social media is a tool. Like any tool, it can be leveraged to your advantage, and with Gen Z the most adept at such platforms as TikTok and Twitter, one can use the digital world to monetize their skills and not just side hustle, but side succeed.
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